After years of lobbying the US government to purchase their fish, Pacific seafood companies finally seeing payoff
A $52 million (€51.2 million) purchase of Pacific whiting, shrimp and rockfish marks yet another unprecedented milestone in US government seafood purchasing.
The US Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) purchase of $52 million (€51.2 million) worth of Pacific whiting, shrimp and rockfish marks yet another unprecedented milestone in US government seafood purchasing.
"This has been a multi-year effort that was really prompted or accelerated because of the pandemic," Steele said of why USDA purchases have ramped up over the last two years.
"We, the West Coast seafood industry, have been trying to get into the USDA seafood food commodity purchasing market for quite some time."
The USDA said the purchases were meant to help food producers weather the ongoing food chain supply disruptions caused by COVID-19.
Steele said the fact that the USDA plans to purchase seafood beyond pollock two years after the start of the pandemic means the purchasing trend is likely here to stay.
"What we’re seeing now is we had a really successful year," she explained of 2021 contracts. "The USDA likes our products, and this year really highlights we’re building on success and developing and growing a really good relationship with the USDA."
The US West Coast seafood industry also has significant backing from federal lawmakers in its efforts to gain a larger share of USDA contracts.
The $52 million will be distributed among three main seafood products:
- Pacific pink shrimp - $12 million (€11.8 million)
- Pacific whiting fillets - $22 million (€21.6 million)
- Pacific rockfish fillets - $18 million (€17.7 million)
The value of US seafood purchased by the USDA has exploded over the past several years, making the government one of the largest purchasers of Alaska pollock and other seafood.
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